Andy Carroll will undergo a medical at West Ham today as Liverpool prepare to make a £20m loss on their club record signing.

Carroll, a £35m buy from Newcastle in January 2011, was due to fly back from a holiday in the United States last night to complete the formalities of his £15m transfer to Upton Park following a season-long loan with Sam Allardyce's team.

The 24-year-old (pictured), who scored seven goals in 24 Premier League appearances for West Ham during his loan spell, is understood to have agreed a six-year contract worth £100,000 a week in order to complete a permanent move to the London club.

With doubts over Carroll's desire to leave Liverpool in order to return to West Ham, combined with the issue of a persistent heel injury, the transfer appeared to be in the balance last month prior to further talks between the two clubs.

Those talks resulted in Liverpool agreeing to suffer a huge financial loss on the England forward, who remains the most expensive British footballer of all time following his move from St James' Park.

With Carroll on the brink of completing his transfer, Liverpool are now ready to make it clear to Luis Suarez that he will not be allowed to leave Anfield unless he forces the issue by demanding a move in writing.

As reported last month, Liverpool have no intention of acceding to Suarez's demand to leave the club for Real Madrid unless he forces the issue by submitting a transfer request, thereby forfeiting his right to a substantial loyalty bonus in excess of £1m.